The Venue
The IBMA Celebrates 40 Years as a Bluegrass Music Organization
We Interview Some of the People Involved with All Stages of the IBMA’s History Photos Courtesy of IBMA It was in 1985 that the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) was officially formed, which makes 2025 its 40th anniversary year. In this article, we are not going to do a deep dive into the logistics and…
Hammons Family Banjo & Fiddle Contest and World Class Jam Returns to Rural West Virginia
Photos by Will Price When it comes to the rich history of American roots music that collectively pre-dated and led to the creation of bluegrass in 1945, local culture and geography were key to different styles arising. That phenomenon often happens with music that organically evolves, no matter the genre. In the 1700s and 1800s,…
Way Down Upon the Suwannee River
Beth and Randy Judy’s nationally recognized music festivals have changed the lives of many and changed names from MagnoliaFest (held in October) and Suwannee SpringFest (held in March) to Suwannee Roots Revival and Suwannee Spring Reunion respectively. While I’ve always considered all four of these festivals to be one and the same, I used to…
From Stages to Campgrounds
Old Settler’s Music Festival Sustains a Robust Community Photos by Steve Levine/stl.images The 38th Annual Old Settler’s Music Festival, happening this year over the final weekend in April, was not just the latest installment of the longest-running festival anywhere near Austin, Texas. It was not just an eclectic mix of beloved and outstanding “roots”…
The Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Over 50 Years of Broadening Bluegrass Boundaries Although bluegrass traditionalists may disagree, I feel that bluegrass music would not be as vibrant as it is today had the roots of the music not branched out in so many different directions. Had the music remained bound to the repertoire, presentation, and style of the founding fathers,…
Bluegrass Gospel
From Brush Arbor To Bean Blossom And Beyond Within the expansive genre of bluegrass, gospel music is arguably more popular today than at any time in its history. Most of today’s bluegrass bands include gospel music on recordings and in stage shows, and some record all-bluegrass gospel albums. While the melding of bluegrass with spiritual…